Keep Debt in Check

Our graduates’ professional success puts them in a great position to manage the next phase of their careers, which may include student loan repayment. We are proud that AU’s student loan debt is at a seven-year low. That’s impressive considering that nationally, average student loan debt has climbed to 56 percent since 2004.

In the Class of 2014

Forty percent of students graduated debt-free.

Borrowers had 21 percent less debt than the Class of 2009.

Borrowers’ average debt was $32,546, comparable to the national average for private universities of $32,600.

Our graduates also perform better in loan repayment. AU grads’ three-year default rate, which traditionally fall below 3.3 percent, is significantly lower than the national average of 11.8 percent.

AU has worked hard to increase need-based financial aid and to help students borrow wisely.

Modest Tuition Increases

AU’s 3 percent tuition increase for 2015 continues a 10-year trend of tuition and fee increases that are lower than the national average.

More Financial Aid

AU earmarked more tuition revenue for financial aid, providing $85 million in 2015.

AU increased the proportion of need-based aid, which accounted for 80 percent of aid in 2015–2016. Almost 80 percent of incoming freshmen received assistance, along with scholarships and merit awards.

Sixty percent of loan borrowers in AU’s Class of 2014 is well below the 75 percent national average for the same type of students at four-year, non-profit universities.

AU’s Emergency Financial Aid Fund, which ensures students can continue their studies during unexpected financial hardship, spent $6 million in 2014.

These programs have earned AU a coveted rank in Kiplinger’s Best College Values.

Financial Literacy Campaign

AU wants students to understand the long-term impact of loans. We identified a need for better information about private loans, which are more expensive and offer fewer consumer protections and repayment options than federal loans. Then, we created a campaign to educate students and offered tools to help them consider the impact on their cumulative debt before they take out private loans.

AU offers financial literacy workshops and a monthly tuition payment plan to help students budget ahead and reduce loan amounts.